Let’s just go ahead and get this out of the way: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, published in February by Algonquin Books, was recently named an Oprah 2018 Book Club selection. Congratulations to all: an “instant bestseller” indeed!
But even without this eminently recognizable achievement, Algonquin Books has been in the business of producing smash hits since NC Literary Hall of Fame inductee Louis Rubin was running it out of a woodshed behind his house in Chapel Hill back in 1983 (with co-founder Shannon Ravenel).
Acquired by Workman Publishing Company in 1989, and now maintaining offices in both New York City and Chapel Hill, Algonquin’s credo is “Books for a Well-Read Life.”
Over the years, Algonquin has published fiction and nonfiction by NC Literary Hall of Fame inductees Clyde Edgerton, Jill McCorkle, Robert Morgan, and Lee Smith; North Carolina favorites such as Wendy Brenner, Aaron Gwynn, Nine de Gramont, Michael Parker, Drew Perry, and Alan Shapiro; as well as nationally renowned authors such as Roy Blount, Larry Brown, Brock Clarke, and George Singleton.
Algonquin has earned international recognition with numerous bestsellers, including Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants. In 2013, Algonquin launched the Algonquin Young Readers imprint featuring middle grade and young adult books.
Algonquin offers services for book clubs, libraries, and educators. Algonquin authors contribute to their organizational blog, offering insights into what it was like to write their book or highlighting new releases.
Both Algonquin Books and Algonquin Books for Young Readers are currently closed to submissions.
Subscribe to their e-newsletter, and check out the archives, here.
For more information, visit their website at www.algonquin.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They’re worth following: often humorous, always timely, always with one finger on the pulse of what the cool literary kids are up to these days.